#“max is causing a problem and being difficult to overtake

[formulafangirl]

So everyone’s mad at Max for

*checks notes*

Racing instead of just letting cars pass him

Also known as, his actual fucking job

[astrojmonaf1]

This isn't the F1 we love

History in the making, Unfair Rulings, and Big Disappointments

Formula One is a sport that many define as the closest thing to riding a rocket into outer space because of the downforce generated inside the 800 kg car which is more than the weight of the vehicle itself.

Every time the drivers get behind the wheel, they defy gravity which is very much compared to being inside a Space Shuttle and a modern F1 car can pull more G’s than a Space Shuttle launch. Think about that one for a minute.

This week, Falcon Heavy carried an extraordinary payload, a rocket full of satellites and between them a Solar Sail is known as LightSail 2 the size of a loaf of bread which is the second spacecraft of it's kind with nothing, not one engine but the energy of photons to propel it in orbit and promote space exploration.

Then, NASA on June 27th announced that we are going back to Saturn’s biggest Moon, Titan, to send a helicopter drone named “Dragonfly,” to uncover the fundamental blocks that gave way life to our planet.

That race is no easy feat.

The last time NASA accomplished this was during the Cassini-Huygens Mission, and until this day it remains the farthest aircraft to ever land in the outer Solar System.

Just like Cassini and Huygens, Formula One has a lot of things in common.

A lot of preparation and teams of two, but sometimes not both make it till the end.

This week we saw the youngest podium ever to win in Formula One history at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Amidst back grid positions, penalties for impending drivers and a theatrical ending, and why yes— even a fake document from a pesky fan, because you have to have it all in Formula One, FIA could not taken long to call on their investigation for this year’s winner.

Max Verstappen wheeled banged himself into Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on lap 69 which cost the Monégasque his first win.

The Dutchman had earlier overtaken on Bottas from Mercedes right after saying his hybrid engine was losing power and as if a miracle, recovered.

The Finnish and teammate to Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes was having overheating issues, but kept the pace with the 21-year-old, said “made the most out of it. It was a bit more difficult than we expected, especially with the overheating of the engine, so couldn’t race properly – had to manage all.”

The FIA Regulations clearly state:

Article 27.4. : "At no time may a car be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically, or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to another driver or any other person.”

It almost seems as if they were quick enough to deliver a penalty against Sebastian Vettel who had nowhere to go when Lewis Hamilton kicked him out of track in Canada, and it showed.

“I had nowhere to go,” Vettel said, to Lewis Hamilton when he was broadcasted through by Sky Sports after the race was over, “Seriously, I had nowhere to go.”

Sebastian Vettel, superpositioned the FINISH order of the signs once he caught up to the two drivers, Leclerc, and Hamilton in Canada.

Yes, stewards, you can fool yourselves but not a man behind the wheel!

The rules stand clear on this one.

And although this year's rules were changed to allow overtaking to increase by 50%, that oversight by the judges caused Vettel the race by 5 seconds which subsequently handed Hamilton first place.

That same discrepancy and too much power in the stewards allowed the Monégasque to lose the track not because he could not win it but because of incompetence from the governing body.

A dramatic end indeed which translates it to another week in Formula One, even if Verstappen was able to break the 1-2 Mercedes partnership, FIA, you had one job, just one, and you messed it up.

What does that mean for the greatest single seat racing sport in the world? The biggest stage in racing that is? It means that even if Honda Racing waited nearly 13 years, for their big break by Verstappen, and Congratulations— for it must feel excellent that you got something handed to you unfairly well, the real winners here are the Fédération.

It means there is a big problem going on with Formula One.

Their penalty process or lack thereof has become a substantiated mess.

FIA forwent their own rulebook when it comes to the violations but happily look away when it pleases their judges.

No wonder why fans have taken it upon themselves into forging fake documents.

They no longer have the ability to trust the governing body, there is no credibility left in the sport after they have blatantly showed to favor certain teams, especially after changing the rulebook to appease them.

Whatever credibility the fans used to have in this organization there is none left, and can you blame them?

The whole system is wrong. Do they know how it works? It is their system after all, but it is broken, and it needs a complete overhaul.

Two hundred and three thousand attendees turned up today in Spielberg, Austria, to celebrate the legend, Niki Lauda, where they saw a Turn named after him. Were he still with us today would he be proud?

This is a massive sport, with millions of fans visiting the circuits and audiences tuning in tandem online and through cable TV, cheering for their favorite teams, from Ferrari to McLaren, Red Bull, and Mercedes to name a few of the top favorites.

There are currently 20 male drivers in the series.

It isn't an easy feat to get licensed for Formula One; many think that the name helps, that it may be a ticket to get into Ferrari Driver Academy, but that is not true. You have to have talent.

And this year's alumni prove it; it isn't like any other group of drivers in the history of the Federation.

Without a shadow of a doubt, they are the youngest group Formula One has ever put behind the wheel and inside a helmet.

We saw Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris set some impressive records in Austria this week.

The young British driver from McLaren was poking fun early about keeping the Aussie on check from DRS.

It was a beautiful thing when he was radio’d. ”Like, Forever?” he replied to his team.

Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, 21, winning pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday, while Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton 5 time World Champion, was given a three-place grid penalty which forced start him in the fifth position on the grid for impending Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen.

He went as far as saying “We’ve been chipping away at it, but right from the get-go we noticed a bit of a deficit to the Ferraris,” Hamilton said.

“We definitely underestimated how fast they would be, I would say, and I think ultimately on the straights.”

“They really kill us on the straights.” because the Monégasque was leaving him in the dust by a margin.

Raikkonen gave a middle finger at the five-time world champion as Lewis overtook him. About the incident he said, "He blocked me, simple as that," Raikkonen said.

It is known that Hamilton can get tricky on those laps and get off the hook with penalties, FIA notwithstanding has looked the other way and handed them to other drivers like Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari's teammate to Charles Leclerc, who after the Canadian Grand Prix was given a five-second penalty, which ultimately cost him the race to Lewis Hamilton.

During the Austrian Grand Prix, his luck had not changed.

The air pressure line to the engine was acting up, and the mechanics had to shield his car from view while Leclerc had to leave him behind to go on the circuit. Vettel had to stay on the vehicle for as long as he could.

“The car was obviously broken so we couldn’t fire it up and go,” he said.

“We fairly quickly made the decision to change, but it’s not so easy to take the bodywork off.”

“We done everything we could be we couldn't get it done in time." he continued.

“There's nothing you can do inside the car. It's nobodies fault, but we need to understand what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again.”

“At that time it's nobodies fault, I knew most likely that if we fixed it, there would be one run, so I tried to focus solely on that.”

“As much of a pain it is, it's good to see that the other car came through and got pole.”

“I'm happy for the team, obviously not happy for my side. We'll have a good day and a good race tomorrow.”

Following Vettel’s comments Mattia Binotto, Ferrari F1 team boss said "It is an engine problem, "We had miscombustion on one cylinder, but it's yet to be understood.” which indicates they will be taking Vettel’s engine back to Maranello, Italy ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

This is Charles Leclerc's second career pole position after qualifying in Bahrain Grand Prix back in March, but missed out due to a cylinder malfunction where he allowed Mercedes AMG F1 Team took a 1-2 victory, Hamilton-Bottas from the overtook him in his last ten laps.

The Monégasque, who was repeatedly proving his driving credentials with speed, in Spielberg, started his driving career, karting at a very young age.

This time, however, was a different story, qualifying to leave the Mercedes in the dust by a margin, with Max Verstappen from Red Bull right behind him following his karting days from 2012.

This time seems as if “Chal Lelerc,“ as he joked on Twitter earlier in the day to the @F1 page when they @ mentioned him “Lelerc“ on a Tweet, was testing a rocket, because he broke the circuits record by 1.03.003 mins in which he evidently pushed himself to the limit, broken the year prior by Alfa Romeo's Kimi Räikkönnen by 1:06.957 mins.

“The car felt amazing actually,” said Leclerc during the FIA conference. “In FP1 I struggled a little bit, but then we did some changes, and from FP2 it was quite good and a big pleasure to drive this car on the limit. It just felt great, and I'm very happy to bring the pole position back home - but tomorrow we need to finish the job.”

Not in vain, he calls this his favorite circuit since in 2017 he won his first cup while he raced for Prema Racing in F2. It's safe to assume that after this loss and the stewards unfairly ruling he will continue to push to get that #1 Championship Title he deserves.

No offense to the winner, Max Verstappen but that ruling was uncalled and the stewards got it wrong.

FIA did give an opening for Ferrari to appeal but Mattia Binotto, Ferrari's Team Boss rejected it “to support the sport.”

“What's Ferrari's opinion and position - we still believe this is a wrong decision, that's our own opinion, we believe that Charles left the entire space, he had no fault, a collision has happened, and he has been pushed and forced off the track,” Binotto continued

“We believe these are clear rules, which we may appreciate or not, and these are exactly the same rules which have been applied in past races.”

“Having said that, we respect fully the decision of the stewards, they are the judge and we need to recognize that, and more than that I think that as a Ferrari fan - and I'm an ultimate Ferrari fan - I think it's time for F1 to turn the page and to look ahead.”

“As we often said, we should leave the drivers free to battle, so we may not be happy of the decision, we are not supporting the decision, but somehow we understand the fact that we need to move forward, and overall I think that's good for the sport and good for F1.”

Binotto may be looking to move forward from this one, but the fans won’t and if by 2021, FIA has not devolved from how their rulebook has immiserated fans worldwide, then, RIP Formula One.

Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix by 2.724 seconds, leading Charles Leclerc in Second Place, and Valteri Bottas in Third.

Congratulations on your big win.

By: Jennyffer McCulley June 30th, 2019

📸 : Reuters / Getty / AFP

[f1]

Bigger fish to fry: Hamilton welcomes jewellery reprieve before Monaco GP

Preparing for what is always a testing weekend on the streets of Monaco, Lewis Hamilton welcomed an FIA climbdown in a spat that is clearly becoming a tiresome distraction. The threat of Hamilton missing the race on Sunday due to the stand-off over whether drivers can wear jewellery under their race suits was lifted temporarily on Fridayy, with the sport taking a moratorium on enforcing the rule to examine ways to come to an agreement. The rule had been largely unenforced until this season when new race director Niels Wittich informed drivers he would be strictly applying the regulation for reasons of safety. He imposed a clampdown in Miami where checks were enforced to ensure compliance. Hamilton opposed the move, noting that he had piercings including a nose stud that could not be removed and that he had raced with jewellery all his career. The seven-times world champion pointedly observed that the rule made little sense given that wedding rings and bracelets were permitted, and his stance was supported by other drivers. He was given a two-race exemption to allow him time to remove the jewellery but he made it clear he had no intention of backing down. The exemption ended before this weekend’s meeting in Monaco but has now been extended to cover this meeting, Azerbaijan and Canada and will conclude before the British Grand Prix on 3 July. Hamilton welcomed the move on an issue he believed had already consumed unnecessary time. “The rule came in in 2005, we’ve all worn jewellery our whole careers in Formula One,” he said. “It’s not been a problem in the past and there’s no reason for it to be a problem necessarily now. It definitely is positive that we’re working with [the FIA] and I think they’re accommodating a little bit at the moment. But we shouldn’t have to keep on revisiting this thing every weekend. We’ve definitely got bigger fish to fry.” Lewis Hamilton tests his Mercedes during the first practice session in Monte Carlo. Photograph: Christian Bruna/EPA The intent is for drivers and the FIA medical staff to find a common ground to adjust the international sporting code so that jewellery can be worn in a way that is considered safe. The FIA have cited Romain Grosjean’s accident at the Bahrain GP in 2020 where his car was engulfed in flames as an example of fears where jewellery may cause problems in extricating drivers from stricken cars. Grosjean was fortunate to escape with only minor burns from what was a horrific accident. Hamilton however was pleased to put the issue behind him as he puts his energy into maximising his Mercedes team’s efforts in Monaco. “Honestly, I feel like there’s just way too much time and energy being given to this,” he said. “I’ve said everything I feel I need to say on it in the last races and that’s not what my focus is this weekend.” He and Mercedes will be hopeful of another strong weekend, having finally solved their car’s porpoising problem at the last round in Spain. Hamilton was consistently the fastest driver on track in Barcelona and put in a fine comeback from 19th to fifth after he was hit and took a puncture on the opening lap. Mercedes have struggled at Monaco in the past but there is some optimism that this time their car will be better suited to the slower corners. Current championship leaders Ferrari and Red Bull will almost certainly still be on top here. Charles Leclerc is confident Ferrari will go well at his home race in Monte Carlo – a meeting where has never finished – having shown great pace in Spain before an engine problem ended his race prematurely. With Red Bull’s Max Verstappen subsequently taking the win in Barcelona he has overtaken Leclerc in the title fight to move six points ahead. Red Bull have shown their best form in straightline pace this year so Ferrari may well be on top in Monaco. However qualifying as ever will be vital and more so than ever this year with the cars’ size and weight making overtaking enormously difficult. via Formula One | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/formulaone

[maxhoemo]

tw: Sexual assault

Max swallowed hard, head in his hands. He thought he had put this behind him. He had for years. How could that fucking asshole actually think for one fucking second that he should post some million year old picture of him and Max! Of course, he had that fucking prick blocked. But now he was getting all kinds of mentions about it. Just innocent questions, when did they meet. ‘I never knew they knew each-other’, that kind of shit. He didn’t want any of these memories to come up, especially now that he was with Ian. He shut his phone off and tossed it across the room, on to the coach. “Fuck!” His stomach felt sick to the point of hurting. “God fucking dammit!”

“Max?” Max looked up to see Ian standing in the doorway. “What’s going on?” He didn’t look angry, just confused. 

“Nothing...” Max lied. He must look like some kind of psycho to Ian without any context.

“Why are you so upset? Did something happen?”

“No, it’s just.... Just some stupid guy I used to know. You don’t gotta worry about it.”

“Are you sure?” 

Max nodded, opening up his laptop and finding something else to do. Ian wasn’t exactly convinced, but wasn’t too concerned. Max got frustrated sometimes. It wasn’t totally abnormal to hear him cursing up a storm. He sat down at the table next to Max, scrolling through his phone.

As Max continued to work, he tried his best to push everything out of his mind. Not to let the flashes of memories take over. That stupid picture. In that stupid fucking park. Ugh, he remembers how eery it was. Such a nice day, yet nobody else around. Those fucking monster sized mosquitoes, leaving little red bumps over every inch of his body. That weasily, Southern-Australian accent. ‘Max. Do you mind if I do this? Do you mind if I do that?’ He took so many goddamn pictures! He remembers leaning against a tree, getting his picture taken.... 

Max went in to take a breath, but he couldn’t. He tried again, a deep inhale. He couldn’t. Maybe he was too hunched over? He sat up perfectly straight and tried again... He clutched his head, suddenly feeling light headed. His skin felt cold. He slapped a hand to his chest, he couldn’t take a breath.

“Max? Are you okay?”

“I-I can’t breath!” He went to stand up, but his legs were so much weaker than he’d expected. He gripped the dining room table, sitting back down. “I have heat stroke or something....” That was what it felt like.

“I’ll get you some water.....”

Max nodded. When Ian returned with the glass, Max gulped it down quickly. He was able to catch his breath, but still felt faint. He closed his eyes, and set the glass down. All he could think about was being in that park. Standing against the tree, perfectly straight. It’d felt just like this. He could see it so clearly. He could hear the birds, hear that fucking accent asking if he was okay. It was like he was transported back there. He felt a hand on his wrist and panicked. “Get off!” he shook the hand off, opening his eyes. “Don’t fucking touch me!” he shrieked. His words echoed off the walls.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“Who are you? Where am I?”

“....It’s Ian. You’re at home. Max, what is going on?”

Everything was starting to come back into focus. He was panting, sweating. He ran a hand through his hair, before looking to his boyfriend. “Ian. I’m sorry.... I.... I was having a flashback or something.”

“A flashback to what?”

“Nothing, nothing!”

“Are you sure you don’t wanna talk about it? Maybe it would make you feel better.” Ian looked so distraught. He knew he was concerned. Probably even scared. But Max just couldn’t talk about it. 

“No. I’m just gonna.... Have a shower....”

...... 

As the week continued, Ian was starting to become quite concerned. Max wasn’t acting like himself. And he was constantly on edge. He had went to hug Max from behind when he had his headphones on, and he completely freaked out. Ian felt so awful that he made Max feel so panicked and unsafe. But he didn’t understand why he couldn’t touch Max anymore. He never used to have a problem with it. Something had happened. It was the only explanation. Something that made Max, well, scared.... Or something.....

......

Max hated that he was letting this overtake his life. He hated that all it took was one little reminder to fall back into that deep pit he’d worked so hard to get himself out of. He didn’t want to freak out when Ian touched him. He didn’t want to have intrusive flashbacks. He wished he could just rip the entire memory from his brain!

But more than anything, he wished he could have stopped it from happening in the first place. He wished he hadn’t been so weak. That fucking asshole... He’d ask Max to do something, and he’d say no. But then he would ask again, and Max would relent. Then he’d ask for something further, and Max would say no. But again, he’d give in to the pressure. He hated himself so much. Why did he do that? He remembered all the bugs crawling on him. Biting him. As he lay naked in the dirt. He wanted to scream and fight. But at the same time, he couldn’t. Because in his mind, it would have been worse for someone to see him like that. He had been so fucking stupid. Max hated himself so much for not fighting back. 

Max closed himself off, trying to just deal with all of his feelings and make them go away. He told Ian he was sick. And he was sick. Not just disgusted, but stomach hurt. His back too, especially his pelvis bone. He groaned as he made his way to the kitchen. Maybe some  hot tea would help. 

“Here Max, let me get that for you,” Ian insisted, taking the box of tea from his hands. “Just sit down, I’ll make it for you.”

“Thanks...” Max mumbled, avoiding eye contact. 

Ian eventually brought Max his mug and a couple of pain killers. “Max...”

“What...?”

“Is this.... I mean...” Ian found it difficult to find his words. He had a feeling this illness was in Max’s head. Connected to whatever reason it was he suddenly hated being touched. Ian knew something had happened. He wasn’t sure when, or how, but he suspected the worst. Like Max had been mugged or something. It just seemed like a response to some sort of violence, and he didn’t know why Max wouldn’t tell him. They normally told each-other everything. “Max. Did something happen?”

Max was silent.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I just want to help you.”

Max looked at Ian. As if he wanted to say something. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Then, he turned away. “I don’t want to tell you....”

....

Months went by, and Max was starting to feel like himself again. He was able to easier push the memories out of his head. Pretty soon, the intrusive thoughts were no longer even present. He was living his life just like normal. He could work, he could touch Ian. Everything was fine. Max could laugh and joke again. He could kiss, he could even have sex.

Ian was on top of him, kissing him and running his hands all along Max’s body. It was the third night in a row they decided to make love, and everything had been perfectly fine. But without warning, Max felt light headed and delirious. He went to take a breath but he couldn’t. He couldn’t breath. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling panic grip him. “Oh, no! No!”

“Max?”

“Get off me! Get the fuck off of me!” Max shrieked. He thrashed and shook, hitting the man on top of him with his hands and fists. Ian rolled off of him immediately, grabbing his glasses from the night stand. 

“Max!? Max what’s wrong?”

Max didn’t answer. His eyes now shot open, practically bulging out of his head. He stared up at the ceiling, a hand slapping to his chest as he panted, trying to catch his breath. After a few moments, he seemed to be calming down. At least, he was less frantic. He rolled his head over, looking at Ian next to him. He looked almost as terrified as Max did. “Oh, Ian I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I don’t know what happened! I just... I freaked out. I don’t know why, it felt like I was being raped again!” he choked out.

Ian felt his stomach drop as those words left Max’s mouth. He took a second to process if he had even heard him right. He was sure he did.... “Max... I had no idea....” He didn’t know what to say. 

.....

"I had just started getting popular on YouTube...” Max broke his long silence, surprising Ian. He was eager to listen. “I was really excited to meet him. He brought me to this,” Max shifted, sniffling. “to this park... When we first got there, you know, I didn’t think anything of it...”

“What happened...?”

“Well I... He sort of took me further along, and as we walked there were less and less people around. I thought he just wanted to, I don’t know, find a better place to talk...” He leaned in closer to Ian as he spoke. Resting his head against him. Ian, noticing the new bid for contact, put his arm around the younger man. Gently at first, to test the waters, before resting it firmly as Max showed no aversion. “He kept... I don’t know, it’s so weird looking back... Like, I should have known. But I was just....” his hands fell to the bed in place of an answer.

“Did he hurt you?” Ian asked quietly. He could tell from Max’s behaviour that whatever it was he was recalling must have been pretty bad. He wanted to give him an out not to go into detail, but Max wanted to say it.

“Not at first... At first we just talked. He would, you know, like.... Put his hand on my shoulder. Or my thigh, I really didn’t like it but.... I just pretended I didn’t notice. I don’t know why, but I just felt like I couldn’t say no to him. He would ask me to do something, and I would....”

“...What do you mean?”

“He kept taking pictures of me.... I thought that was weird but I didn’t say anything. It was a really hot day..... I was sweating.... There were these fucking giant mosquitoes leaving little red bumps all over me. He took his shirt off. He said I should take mine off, you know, cause it was so hot? I said I didn’t want to but.... He just kept pressuring me and I gave in. It really bothers me that I gave in....”

Ian didn’t have an answer.

“So I was sitting there with him. Nobody else was around and I had my shirt off... He wanted me to go to this, sort of bushy are and I really didn’t want to. But again, I just did it when he kept asking. Even though I didn’t want to. It was so stupid of me. The bugs, oh my god, they were even fucking worse... And then.... I was totally naked. He wanted a picture of me there. But I didn’t want any of that. I’m so fucking stupid...”

“Max, no you aren’t....”

“He promised me, he wouldn’t get my dick. And then when he was done, you know what he said? ‘Sorry, I got it in there anyways....’“ Max was getting emotional again. He was obviously angry. And he was starting to cry again. “And then he pushed me down and....”

“You don’t have to say the rest.”

“I...” Max turned to look at Ian for a moment. His face twisted and distressed, eyes wet and glassy. “I’m so stupid... I let it happen....” he buried his face into Ian’s chest. 

“No, no, no...” Ian tried to comfort him. “No you aren’t. That guy knew what he was doing.  He was wrong, okay? It’s not your fault at all....”

“Yes it is....” Max sobbed. “Do you know what I was thinking when it was happening? I didn’t wanna.... I didn’t wanna scream or make any noise! I was so fucking quite the whole time!” Thinking about it made Max feel physically disgusted with himself. “I thought it would be worse for anyone to see me like that then to just let it happen!”

Ian was silent for a minute. Trying to think of something to say.

“I’m such a fucking retard... I hate myself... I hate that all these feelings are back...”

“Max, no...”

“No, what?”

“You shouldn’t feel that way. I mean, you were young and... And nobody really knows how to react in a situation like that...”

“I should’ve...”

“No, stop... Just stop thinking of things you should have done.”

“I should have fought back! I just shut down!”

“No, no.... That isn’t your fault! It’s okay Max, it’s okay... Everything’s okay...” Ian wrapped his arms around the boy, gently rocking him back and forth.

“I just hate that I’m still thinking about it! I just fucking hate it!”

“Shh...Shhh..Shhh... Max, baby... You’re okay... I love you so much. I’m gonna help you.”

“How can you? I just... I’ll be minding my own business, and, Ian, it’ll feel just like I;m there again. I can feel it all! The dirt and the bugs crawling all over me and the pain and...”

“Max, Max.... You just have to remember it’s not happening again. You’re safe here with me.”

“Yeah...I am...I’m...I’m here with you... I’m not...”

“I’ll help you. However I can, Whatever you need, I’ll help you, okay?”

“Okay... ”

“I just love you so much. I don’t want you to feel like this...”

“I don’t want to either.”

“I’ll help you... I’ll figure out a way to help you...”

“Okay...Okay... I trust you... I really do.”

“I won’t let you down, I promise.”

[fmlfpl]

Lineup Lamentations - GW23

Our Transfers, Captains, and Starting 11s for the week!

—

WALSH

TRANSFERS:

OUT: Diego Rico

IN: Jack Stephens

I feel naked and alone without my Spanish lover Rico in my team anymore but it simply had to be so. I'm floating a transfer again this week and just doing a move to give me another cheapo defender who I can rotate. As shouted on the pod at 4.3 Jack seems like a good piece to have at the back until WC with their fixtures and strong underlying defensive numbers. There were certainly other more flair moves I could do but with two Livp in I am valuing the flexibility afforded with two frees ahead of their double to make a final decision about who to get in as the third and who to remove as well.

GK:

Schmeichel (bur)

Woodman the eternal continues to never let me down the legend.

Schmike, on the other hand, suddenly finds himself positioned between a goal frame, a sieve, and the enemy. Still too early to tell if no Ndidi just means they are diabolical but Burnley have been among the worst attacks in the division recently and no Smashley kinda fucks up their balance a lot.

Could see them snap back into form and just dispatch these in an easy win to nil. Hoping for it, anyway.

DEF:

Pereira (bur)

Somehow I still have Periera. He's been by far by farrrrr my worst transfer of the season but I always seem to find a reason to hold on to him and start him. It seems extremely unlikely he is in past this weekend so maybe he'll give me a farewell gift.

Alexander-Arnold (MUN)

Trent goes again nothing to say about that. Only guy I've had since GW1...well other than Woodman of course that sweet boy.

Stephens (WOL)

Jack new friend is put straight into the fire with home Wolves. Not a good on paper fixture but I could kinda see a clean here? Maybe? Not an ideal start, but he's the best option I have and when weighing him up against the other 4.4 defenders and under it looked like his near term fixtures were the best in how he can rotate with what else I've got.

Lundstram (ars)

Lastly is Pointstram.

Another not too great feeling start but also not too bad without Aubz.

Hard to imagine where an Arsecast goal can come from other than a p3p3ga set piece banger or something like this. Don't really feel like Wilder will have any trouble marking Laca out of the game. Pointstram also eye test wise looked a lot more involved in their attack last game so maybe that is a sign of things to come.

MID:

Martial (liv)

Unfortunately I'm going to have to eat a Tony M start here at Anfield. Feels not good but I still like him as a medium term hold despite the mixed fixtures.

Still don't really have any confidence that I know what a "good" fixture is for United attack anyway so I'm just blindly following the mantra of he's playing OOP striker on a top six team so he's a hold.

De Bruyne (CRY)

Kevin up against my boys this weekend we'll see if he's at DM or not. Don't really care though, honestly.

Salah (MUN)

Third mid is Mo. Good lad.

FWD:

Maupay (AVL)

Is this the weekend of Neal? Please Neal be a good Neal one time my son.

Scenic fixture...time to capitalize...or take 1 shot and blank again as per.

I want Neal to give me a sign of life so badly because I would really still like to hold him for the near term through these fixtures. Big game for him and I'll be watching him closely.

Vardy (bur)

Vardz still in there. Whatever.

Agüero (CRY)

Kun off his monster haul good job by Kun love Kun so much.

CAP:

Vardy (bur)

Sticking with Vardz as shouted on the pod.

I've really not gone to the Vardy cap well too often this season but he just seems like a very strong option against a really bad team with two really bad CBs and a really bad GK. I'd honestly be surprised if he doesn't double return.

—

ALON

TRANSFERS:

OUT: N/A

IN: N/A

When in doubt float your fuckin’ transfer...

I had a really brutal week and especially today, Friday, long and tough day.

No idea what I want to do but having two frees and a boatload of cash for next week seems really fun / good.

I’ll probably get rocked in the Cup this week by fuckin Wiscker by just rolling the same crew out again after last week’s bloodbath but maybe with my two frees and a pocket full of change I can roar back in the final two group matches and go through... It works out in my head at least...

GK:

Ryan (AVL)

Great fixture and a great fixture run so come on Mat gimme some points.

DEF:

van Dijk (MUN)

Everything says that this should be an easy Liverpool win and an easy Liverpool clean but who knows it’s still a derby...

United are absolutely terrible on set plays they have conceded the third most in the league and Liverpool have scored the tied for second most int he league so make of that what you will... VVDue? VVDong?

Söyüncü (bur)

Hoping for a Soy redemption song this week after that very sloppy mess of a match lass week... Burnley are very much there for the taking so go on SoyBoy.

Lundstram (ars)

I sleeper think that this is a great fixture... ok maybe great is an exaggeration because it’s not a ~banker~ but with how Arsenal’s been playing lately - very few shots and not much xG or sustained attack - plus no Aubz it just seems very cleanable and winnable for Sheff U from where I’m sitting. 

MID:

Salah (MUN)

Funny cheeky little interview he gave. Mo’s a good guy.

De Bruyne (CRY)

Easy keep.

Maddison (bur)

Time for a bounce-back from Leicester no fucking around. Maddo was such a steady tick merchant for me back in the good ole days I just want to taste that success again.

Sarr (tot)

Not a good fixture but definitely not a bad one either.

Sarr and Watty have been looking fabulous and will cause Spurs tons of problems for me.

Cantwell (BOU)

Lastly going for Big Todd Energy over Jiménez this week (feel free to thank me Jim owners) becaaaauuuuuseeeee just I don’t know gut feeling and shit.

Jim has been an extremely upsetting transfer in for me and I shouted Wolves being tired and bad and then they go out and lose to Man. Utd. in the cup with Jim playing the full 90′.

Also Jim has away Southampton which is now a really rough fixture so whatever I’m going for it here... Todd should fuck Eddie’s Bourney.

FWD:

Only the two FWDs for me this week since I’m benching Jimboy.

Vardy (bur)

Another in my triple leicester to bounce back -- what a chance for it !

Calvert-Lewin (whu)

I still believe in DCL and I had to defend the pick a little bit here and there this week and honestly it just made me feel better about it. And the fixture is fantastic. DCL gonna bang.

CAP:

Vardy (bur)

Just don’t really have another option who I think is nearly as good a cap. pick as Vardz is this week and it’s as simple as that...

If it’s close then maybe you go differential cap but if it’s not close I think you just cap the guy who everyone else is capping. Here we are.

Soz for a not exciting Lambs from me this week lol.

—

RANDOM SLACKER OF THE WEEK: dave (group 19)

The words of Random Slacker are not officially endorsed by this website nor any employees of FML FPL LLC.

TRANSFERS:

DISCLAIMER: I AM VERY BAD AT FPL AND YOU SHOULD NOT LISTEN TO ANYTHING I SAY!

Fun fact: I was the person who suggested random slacker lambs earlier in the season to the pod bois. That was a time when my team was ticking along and I was optimistic about rising up the ranks over the course of the season.

Now I am in the depths of darkness and have zero expectations for my team other than red arrows and I am bad and shit at FPL and you shouldn’t even bother reading this because I’m shit. Unless you want to feel better about yourself, that is (I’m 1.5m so if you’re lower than that then I’m truly sorry – you’ll probably overtake me soon).

At least I have the FML FPL Cup to focus all my energy on. Speaking of which...

To my opponent this week, Rob, and the rest of Group 19, Jon and Max: Fuck you. I’m going to destroy you. I don’t care about my OR anymore. This is all that matters to me. (Jk prob will get 0 points and crash out in the group stage – good luck lads).

OUT: Serge Aurier

IN: Lewis Dunk

I have 2FTs but I’m just going for a fairly passive and hopefully more sensible move. When Mou became Spuds’ manager I had hopes that the defence would significantly improve (I even doubled up on their defence – oops), but alas they are still shipping goals for fun and now the child Tanganga is in the mix potentially threatening Aurier’s minutes after a decent right back performance mid-week. So just fucking him off to a similarly priced guy with good fixtures for the foreseeable future, on a team that actually appears to be capable of keeping the occasional clean sheet.

Going to roll the other FT to give me a little more flexibility next GW to increase my share of Liverpool players to at least 2. Probably will take a hit to get up to 3.

GK:

Guaita (mci)

Probably the worst fixture of the season for a defender or GK; City have several potent, in-form attacking options and could easily put up 4 or 5 (albeit Palace have been fairly solid for large portions of the season).

Just hoping Victor Vincente can pick up some some save points, a Kun pen save or two would be very welcome as a non-owner…

DEF:

Dunk (AVL)

Brighton looking very good this season generally under Graham Potter and cleaning the odd game here and there. Decent chance for one against an out of sorts Villa. Go on new friend Lewis.

Söyüncü (bur)

Soyboy has been a staple of my team for quite some time. Leicester always a shout for a clean. However, Burnley are one of those teams where I can never predict how they’re going to perform week to week, so I’m not banking on a clean by any means.

Sidibe (whu)

Difficult to predict how this one will go as West Ham are still a bit of an unknown quantity to me under new / old manager Moyseh.

Sidibe is the guy I’ll likely transition into a Liverpool defender next week but maybe he gets another go at RW this week with Richarlison confirmed out. Would be nice to get some OOP attacking farewell returns from him.

MID:

De Bruyne and Sterling (CRY)

Should just be a fuckfest for City (soz Walsh). Raz getting fairly frustrating to own but I’m keeping the faith for now.

Mané (MUN)

Another one of those games that you never know what to expect. Even while United were the dominant English team and Liverpool were complete piss, they always seemed to be able to show up for this match and up results. Could the shoe be on the other foot now? After all Utd are the only team Liverpool haven’t beaten so far this season in the PL. But I digress. Mane is obviously an auto-start in any fixture and Liverpool are the clear favourites in this one for good reason.

Maddison (bur)

He’s an absolute cunt imo. Very punchable face too. But he has undoubtedly been a very good FPL pick this season thus far. So go on James.

FWD:

Calvert-Lewin (whu)

2 blanks on the trot but I’m not too worried. Still think he’s great, Carlo loves him and the price is right.

Abraham (new)

Tammy back in the points lately so feels fine to hold for now. Fixtures turning to shit imminently so possibly one to monitor and maybe move on soon.

Vardy (bur)

Earlier in the season I was looking at Vardy’s stats vs. goals/assists output; I convinced myself it was unsustainable and that he would “revert to the mean” (that’s something us wankers who have no fucking clue about how underlying stats translate into FPL points say to kid ourselves that we know what we’re talking about).

It’s now clear that he is just a guy who you hold indefinitely because his points continue to roll in week after week after week.

CAP:

Sterling (CRY)

Call me an idiot.

Call me a glutton for punishment.

I capped Raz last week thinking he might just be a stroke of genius differential pick. Needless to say, that went poorly (0 mins with DCL VC, RIP). But fuck it. He goes again. I love Raz. Raz is great. He’s due – isn’t he?

Ultimately I’m just a guy who wants to get some fucking points on the board. Wish me luck.

[ultrasfcb-blog]

F1 gossip: Villeneuve, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly

F1 gossip: Villeneuve, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly

F1 gossip: Villeneuve, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Gasly

Jacques Villeneuve drove his final Formula One race in 2006

Sunday, 1 July

Ferrari are wrong to sign up Charles Leclerc for next season, says 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve. (Auto Bild, Austria, via f1i.com)

Lewis Hamilton is “a young man both blessed with good intentions and cursed with a severe lack of guidance”, according to the journalist who interviewed him for the latest edition of GQ magazine. (GQ)

Austrian Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen believes he can be a title contender if Red Bull find some more engine power. (Sky Sports)

Red Bull turned down Verstappen’s engine during the race in Austria to avoid him suffering the same problems that caused team-mate Daniel Ricciardo to retire. (Motorsport.com)

Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly said the Austrian Grand Prix was like a rallycross race, claiming he almost went off the track 20 times. (Motorsport Week)

Lewis Hamilton vented his frustration on the team radio as his race went wrong on Sunday – but went for diplomacy on Twitter

Sergio Perez was very happy with seventh place – and six championship points – after elimination in the first qualifying session on Saturday

Saturday, 30 June

Leclerc and Vettel are set to be team-mates next season

Sauber boss Frederic Vasseur has denied that there have been talks about a mid-season driver swap between Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Leclerc is to join Ferrari from next season. (F1i.com)

Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly says F1 race director Charlie Whiting told the teams to make stronger wings if they wanted to run the kerbs in Austria. (Planet F1)

Whiting also says “discussions” are taking place about introducing penalties that take into account the consequences of a driver’s actions. (Autosport)

World champion Lewis Hamilton has posed on the cover of British GQ magazine in a kilt to “make amends” for shaming his nephew for wearing a princess dress. (Metro)

Friday, 29 June

Max Verstappen believes there is a “very big chance” team-mate Daniel Ricciardo will commit his future to Red Bull. (Formula1.com)

Ricciardo and Verstappen speak to the media ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix

Meanwhile, Ricciardo has joked his ideal team-mate would be either Kimi Raikkonen or Valtteri Bottas. (F1 on Twitter)

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes will be even stronger this weekend as they bring more car upgrades to the Austrian Grand Prix. (Express)

Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc says it would be a “dream” to drive for Ferrari amid rumours he will replace Kimi Raikkonen in 2019. (Sky Sports)

Sebastian Vettel says he is not worried by his numerous errors this season. (Sky Sports)

Hamilton has previously stated his ambition to become a musician

Thursday, 28 June

Lewis Hamilton has made his singing debut under the pseudonym XNDA on pop star Christina Aguilera’s new album. (Mirror)

McLaren would consider signing Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen if Fernando Alonso does not drive for the team in 2019. (Sky Sports)

Sauber’s Charles Leclerc has admitted that he has “heard the rumours” about his future after being tipped to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari next season. (F1 Today)

Daniel Ricciardo has hinted that his future depends on where he feels most “valued”. The Australian, who is in the final year of his contract at Red Bull, has been linked with McLaren. (Express)

Force India’s chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer says that reported plans to ban virtual garages during race weekends are “ridiculous”. (F1i)

Sauber’s Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson has been lamenting his travel schedule after missing a very important football match…

Wednesday, 27 June

Formula 1 sporting boss Ross Brawn says the new aerodynamic regulations for 2019 have finally been agreed by the teams and are expected to be signed off in July. (Motorsport)

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen thinks the Austrian Grand Prix will provide a ‘fun lap’, despite Lewis Hamilton’s view that it is too difficult to overtake at the track. (Express)

Fernando Alonso has clarified his criticism of the McLaren team after their disappointing performance at the French Grand Prix, saying he felt some of the instructions he was receiving were a little ‘overexcited’ given his position at the back, or close to the back, for most of the race. (PlanetF1)

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley now believes there is no realistic chance his drivers can catch Renault in the Formula 1 constructors’ standings, after suffering a double retirement in France. (Autosport)

Tuesday, 26 June

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel has been criticised by the Italian media after his “amateur error” in crashing into Valtteri Bottas at the French Grand Prix.(F1i.com)

Sebastian Vettel hit Valtteri Bottas (left) during the opening lap of the French Grand Prix

After suggestions Vettel should have been punished with more than a five-second penalty, FIA race director Charlie Whiting said it was “consistent with other incidents of that sort”. (Planet F1)

Lewis Hamilton’s new deal with Mercedes – set to be worth £45m – is close to being announced. (Sydney Morning Herald)

The FIA is set to release the definitive 2021 Formula 1 engine regulations to manufacturers this week. (Autosport)

Monday, 25 June

Fernando Alonso wants his McLaren team to “raise their game” at next weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix after failing to finish in France on Sunday. (Mail)

Fernando Alonso retired on lap 50 at Circuit Paul Ricard

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton says he is “blown away” by Michael Schumacher’s achievements after breaking the German’s record for most race wins at different circuits following victory at Sunday’s French Grand Prix. (Express)

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen jokingly suggested Sebastian Vettel should change his style after the Ferrari driver’s first-lap collision on Sunday. (Reuters)

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen says he had “a lot more fun” on Sunday than in his previous two outings. (PlanetF1)

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo says his hopes of a podium finish at Paul Ricard were dashed after his car was “wounded” by damage sustained to his front wing.(Motorsport.com)

Force India’s Sergio Perez is determined to not be too downhearted about his retirement in France…

BBC Sport – Formula 1 ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/formula1/7309/

#Barcelona

[caramel-and-pine]

08 - Overanalyzing and Overreacting

Max feels like his head is stuffed full of cotton. His senses are dulled as he walks down the street without destination. He needs to take a bus home but the neighborhood is unfamiliar and he doesn’t know where the nearest bus stop is. He should’ve asked David but it is too late and he is not returning to David’s house now.

Firstly because he might have become a mature person but he isn’t about to admit a mistake as fucking stupid as getting lost on the way home. And secondly, because he isn’t sure he can look David in the eye right now.

David asked him on a date, didn’t he? Max is sure he has heard the words but he isn’t sure of their meaning. It is David, and he can get over-enthusiastic Max knows that pretty well. But still, once you add all the things that happened in the morning and at the night before, it becomes difficult to deny that there is something going on. Max has never talked about Hannah so freely, and he is sure David isn’t very willing to share the reasons behind his suicide attempt with just anyone.

Something happened in the last few hours and Max is trying hard not to take the fact that he and David shared a bed into account. That would just make everything more difficult because it would remind Max of how good it was to hold David through the night. How comfortable his bed and his arms are, how soft and pretty he looks while sleeping...

Max! Focus!

The young man finally reaches an avenue and easily spots a bus stop a few blocks away. His eyes are downcast as he walks up to the stop where some people are already waiting. The sun is high in the sky, surely it is way past ten in the morning and considering his location it is likely that he will arrive home near lunchtime. He wishes he had his phone with him, but he had left the club in a hurry the night before and the telephone had been charging in the storage room and out of his reach.

It takes about ten minutes for the bus to arrive and Max is the last one to board it. He sits near the end, his feet up the seat and head leaning on the greasy glass. Luckily, the bus is almost empty and no one sits by his side or even pays him any attention. The muffled sound of the Saturday morning traffic lulls Max into a pensive state and, even against his better judgment, he soon is once again revisiting the last hours in his memories.

David had gone to The Fruit Bowl again, that adds to three times if Max is not mistaken. The first time had been terrible, Max hadn’t known how to react and David had been so shocked and awkward. After David left that night Max felt like he had lost him again and he felt the worst taste possible on the back of his throat at the thought.

He had been surprised when David showed up a few days later to watch the show. At least he supposes David had gone there for the show because he certainly didn’t stay to talk to Max. Ivan said he had looked like he was about to bust a nut, which now makes a little bit of sense but still sounds unlikely. Probably he was just too embarrassed to continue watching.

Ivan also said that David looked enamored of Max - Ivan is rarely wrong.

Last night David seemed happy to have an opportunity to just talk to Max. He didn’t seem off put or frustrated that the young man wasn’t going to perform. Quite the opposite, he seemed all too content with just sitting there sipping his drink and making small talk. And if Max can be honest, at least with himself, he was quite happy to have David there just chatting and entertaining him with silly questions and jokes.

If he considers the night before and the current morning as two different situations that make for four encounters with David in little less than two weeks. It is a lot of interaction, especially considering that they had gone ten years without seeing one another. This morning Max learned that he had been a constant in David’s life in those years despite his absence. He can’t say the same about himself: when Hannah was born he stopped trying to run away from home, and after about one year of the end of Camp Campbell Max gave up on David or Gwen or anyone coming after him.

He might be suffering from a David overdose after the longest withdraw period in history.

As an exercise of imagination Max tries to imagine what would it be like to not have David in his life again. What would be it like if he bailed on their lunch on Wednesday and David decided to go on with his life and they simply never met again? When Max imagines it the first feeling that overtakes his heart is emptiness. Max constantly feels empty but this is a type of emptiness that hurts and he has to shake his head forcefully to avoid tearing up.

Max’s approach to life had always been detached and cynical, he isn’t used to having so many feelings running wild inside him. His heart feels frayed and it is like all of his emotions have been scrubbed raw by this overanalyzing. The last time he had felt this emotionally drained was when Christine started her transition and Max was her only support.

When Max finally arrives home he is tired and restless, his thoughts and emotions in turmoil like they rarely are. He climbs the stairs slowly, dragging his feet up and leaning heavily on the handrail. Fortunately, his wallet and keys had been in his pocket when he left the club the night before so he doesn’t have problems getting inside home.

Max and Chris’s apartment is small but comfortable, they don’t have a lot in ways of decoration due to the lack of space but there are beautiful curtains on every window and all the rugs are soft and comfortable to walk on. There is only one bedroom, so the living room had been closed with drywall and turned into a bedroom for Max while Chris stays in the second room with her small sewing station and crafts materials. Max’s own room is a lot more spartan than hers; other than a few pictures on the dresser, the only personal item Max keeps is his dirty and beloved teddy bear. Mr. Honey Nuts is always sitting on Max’s pillow unless he is lost among the messed blankets.

Music comes from Christine’s room when Max enters the apartment, a sign that she is home. He steps out of his shoes before padding across the narrow makeshift corridor to her room. The door is open and she is sitting on the bed with a large sketchpad over her knees, she is sketching some sort of gown but stops as soon as she hears Max softly knocking on the door frame.

“Maxy!” Christine exclaims as she turns the music off. “I was starting to worry about you. I saw you left your phone at the bar but you should’ve called or messaged me to tell me you wouldn’t be home at night.”

“Sorry, Chris, I.. I didn’t have the opportunity,” he says tiredly. “What are you doing?”

“I got a commission for a costume,” she replies and Max nods with a nervous look on his face. Christine raises an eyebrow at him.

“Is everything alright, Max?”

“I don’t know?” Max says, looking around quite lost. “Do you have a moment?”

Christine looks at him from head to toe, her lips pursing as she sees something there that doesn’t please her.

“Is it a ‘Chris and Max figure things out together’ kind of moment?” She asks already closing the sketchpad and setting it aside.

“Yes,” Max says in a small voice.

Christine smiles and puts her arms out for him. Max quietly slides into her bed where he lays with his head on her bent knees. She starts to pet his hair as she patiently waits for him to say something. Her nails scrape pleasantly against his scalp, the soothing motion uncoiling his nerves and allowing him to relax. After some time he finally speaks.

“David asked me on a date,” he blurts at once, causing her to stop the soft petting for a moment.

“Is this good?”

“I don’t know,” he replies. “In fact, I don’t even know if it is a real date or not.”

“What did he say?”

“Well, he said he wanted to see me out of the club, as a friend,” Max says, hands nervously twisting together. “And then he invited me to have lunch on Wednesday.”

“And did you accept?” Christine continues to run her fingers through Max’s messy curls, gently untangling any knots she finds.

“Yes,” Max sounds unsure. “And when I accepted he said it was a date!”

Christine smiles gently at him.

“This is cute,” she says sweetly.

“I am very confused, Chris,” Max admits with a sad sigh.

“You knew this David guy before last night, right?” Christine asks with a tilt of her head.

“Yes. When I was a kid my mother sent me to a summer camp and he worked there,” Max explains. “But this was a long time ago, I’ve never expected to find him again.”

“And how do you feel about it?”

“I am not angry,” Max says in all seriousness and Christine laughs at it. “When I was a kid I didn’t like him because he was very obnoxious and cheery all the time, but now he is different. I am different, too.”

“And do you like him now?”

Max goes silent again. Isn’t it the million dollar question? He thinks it is still too early to say anything about it. He did enjoy being in David’s company the night before and that morning, but those few hours weren’t enough to draw a realistic conclusion, right? He turns around on the bed until he can look Christine in the eyes. She is looking at him with a benevolent but amused expression on her face and he frowned in reply.

“I like having him around,” he says slowly. “He is very… genuine and honest when talking to me and it makes me feel good. When we were at camp he was always trying to connect with me, but I never let him, now I think I want this connection.”

Christine hums in understanding and tucks a curl of hair behind Max’s ear. She has never seen Max being this open and earnest about his feelings. Over the years of their friendship she became very good at reading his subtle cues, but this all out conversation is something new and she can’t help but think this is David’s influence already working.

“Well, you’ve met him just a few days ago,” she says after some consideration. “It is normal to be confused especially considering you were away for so long.”

“This is a sound observation, Christine, but it doesn’t fucking help me!”

“Chill, Maximilian,” she chides him and Max pouts at her. “What I mean is that it is still early, you don’t need to have it figured out just yet.”

“No?” Max deflates and flops by her side again, his head resting on her knees once more.

“No, darling,” she repeats sweetly, her nails once again running over his scalp in soothing circles. “You accepted his invitation, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” he says quietly.

“Why?”

“Because… I… want to see him again?” Max’s answer sounds like a question and Christine shakes her head, amused at how hopeless her friend can be sometimes.

“I know you, Max, and if you didn’t want to see him again you would’ve never accepted his invitation. You don’t do things to please others, so this can only mean you do want to see him again.”

“I do,” he says, mostly to himself. “But, is it a date?”

“Well, I guess it could be?” She shrugs. “He called it a date, didn’t he?”

“Yes, but, David gets excited very easily, maybe he said it in the heat of the moment? Maybe it is not exactly what he meant?”

“Max, why are you trying so hard?” Christine asks softly.

“I just don’t want to fuck it up, Chris,” he says with painful sincerity. “You know how easy it is for me to screw everything and I don’t want to screw this.”

“You are not a screw-up, Max,” she squeezes his shoulder reassuringly as she speaks. “David asked you out, he said he wants to see you out of the club, this means he likes your company. I don’t know if he asked you on a date-date or a friend date or whatever, but he invited you to spend some time together and I think this is what you should focus on.”

“So, what do I do?”

“On Wednesday you get out of bed at a decent time, put on some nice clothes and go meet him,” she says with finality. “You’ll have a good time, eat some nice food, have some fun and hopefully by the end of the meal you’ll know what kind of date it was.”

“How do you make it all sound so simple?” He whines and rubs his face in frustration.

“I am a third party observer,” she deadpans. “The point is, both of you want to see each other and now this is enough. In the worst case scenario, you’ll have a friend who isn’t me!”

“Aren’t you a sweetheart?” Max mumbles and Chris smiles down at him.

“David sounds like a very special guy,” she says after a moment.

“He is,” Max says without hesitation.

“He is hot, too,” Christine says causing Max to sputter and sit up with a deep blush on his cheeks.

“Christine!!”

“I just had a quick look yesterday at the club but he seemed very cute,” she teases and Max just emits a long sequence of incoherent sounds. “It will be fine, Max,” she says once Max stops his nervous grumbling.

“Thank you, Chris,” he says with a tiny smile. “I love you.”

Chris smiles back at him as they hug tightly. “I love you too, Maxy.”

**

On Monday morning Christine goes out to buy material to work on some projects. She leaves around nine and leaves Max a note taped to the bathroom mirror since the young man is fast asleep when she leaves. Tending to the bar is a surprisingly exhausting work and Ivan still can’t carry the heavy crates and boxes of bottles around so Max is still substituting him at the bar. Sunday had been a very busy night and Max had arrived home with the sun, so Christine decided to let him sleep as much as he wanted that morning.

Max wakes up a little before eleven with his bladder uncomfortably full. He yawns all the way to the bathroom and then back to his room again. Once he returns to his room he lays down on the bed intending on sleeping some more but he finds himself too waken to go back to sleep. With a sigh, he picks his phone from the bedside table and starts to read an e-book Ivan had suggested him.

The book is badly written despite the interesting concept. It is a murder thriller but the characters are flat and uninteresting and soon Max finds himself drifting away from the reading and into his own musings. According to Christine’s note on the mirror, she had gone downtown to buy fabric and would be back by lunchtime which means he had one hour or so for himself.

Max closes the book and when he does so the cell phone returns to its initial page. The background in a picture of Max drawn by Hannah and he smiles a little everytime he sees it. On the corner of the screen, the icon of the calendar catches his attention - there is a red bubble over it signaling that he has an event scheduled for the week. Max takes a deep breath when he remembers the event he saved for Wednesday.

Lunch with David.

He hadn’t seen David since that awkward farewell on Saturday morning and he notices that he kinda misses him. Unbelievable - he goes one decade without the man and everything is fine, and now he misses him after barely two days! Max wonders if he should call or text David on the days they don’t see each other. David had given him his card that first day, after all. Surely it meant David expected him to keep some sort of contact, right? Max would like to keep in touch with David but he just doesn’t know what they could chat about on the phone. He groans in frustration.

Max tugs his hair in an attempt to focus but the effect is quite the opposite. Instead of focusing on a decent topic of conversation to initiate contact with David, Max’s mind is suddenly filled with thoughts of David - of his sleeping face and his smile, of his long legs and the little skip he still has to his step.

Of his warmth and the pleasant smell of his hair as he hugged Max through the night on Saturday.

Max groans, but now it is not only frustration he feels. His cheeks blush when he realizes his cock is filling up quickly, surely the vestiges of his morning wood are helping the matters on his lower parts. When he looks down there is a tent growing in his boxers and at this point, he knows he can’t just will it away. No, he will have to deal with the situation in a more practical manner.

He is slightly ashamed of how easy it is for him to imagine David there with him. He might be still debating over his feelings for the guy but it is difficult to deny how attractive David is. Or how simple it is for Max to visualize his blushing cheeks, with his eyes glazed and lips shiny and too red. Max gasps a little as his cock twitches and the sensitive head rubs against the fabric of his shorts.

With an impatient tug he removes the boxers and lays naked on the bed, the covers kicked aside unceremoniously. The morning is hot and Max’s room is stifling since it doesn’t have a window, sweat soon starts to glisten on his skin causing his hands to slide effortlessly up and down his body. He has some time to spare and decides to make this last; as it is rare for him to have pleasure by and for himself these days. Max doesn’t mind doing what his clients ask him, as long as it is within the rules, but it is good to chase his own enjoyment for a change.

He plants his feet on the bed and gets comfortable as he uses one hand to tug his hair and the other to graze down his chest forcefully, raising red lines that sting a little. His breathing is already shallow, his lips dry as he sucks air in through his mouth. He loves to feel the blood rushing just under his skin, and he runs eager hands up and down his neck and chest chasing that feeling. He teases a nipple with a short nail and moans openly at the tingle it creates.

His eyes slip closed and he sees David’s image with much more definition now. His bed isn’t as soft as David’s and his hands aren’t as big but with some imagination, he can pretend he is still in David’s house with the older man exploring him in an unhurried fashion. He is sure that David is an attentive lover, and basks on the idea of being doted on by him.

In his imagination, David is kissing his everything: his cheeks, jaw and neck, the hollow of his collarbones and the ridges of his ribs as they show when Max stretches on the bed. David kisses his lips, sweet but demanding at once and Max swallows forcefully at this particular thought. Max wonders if David is the type of person who speaks a lot during sex. Somehow he is sure he is. Usually, Max isn’t a big fan of dirty talking or speaking during sex but he imagines that David would say the sweetest and most ridiculous things in this situation and he finds it endearing to no end.

Finally, he brings a hand down around his cock. It is pulsating to the rhythm of Max’s wild heartbeat, and he groans in delight as he starts to pump it. The mix of sweat and precum make the slide easy, with just enough friction to keep Max on the edge. His toes curl on the bed sheets as he rubs the head and his nail catches on the leaking slit.

His hand gains speed and his hips start to thrust up forcefully. He is grunting and gasping in pleasure, his face unguarded and expressive as he usually doesn’t allow it to be. David would certainly be a very expressive lover, and he would appreciate it from Max as well. The young man pictures slack lips and half hooded dark green eyes, a mess of auburn hair slicked with sweat over eyebrows angled down helplessly. David wears his heart on his sleeve, Max would be able to read and play him so well.

They would bring so much pleasure to each other…

Max’s rhythm starts to fail as he approaches orgasm. He trashes and tosses on the bed, tugging his own hair and grinding down on his tight fist. His voice is muffled by the pillow when he comes, face mashed against the hot pillowcase. In his mind, he can almost hear David gasping his name in a raspy voice.

Coming down from his high takes a long time. Max enjoys every second of this slow descent; his heartbeat assuming a normal rhythm, his breathing becoming deep and regular once more. When it is over he is satisfied and light in a way he can’t quite remember being in the recent past.

Eventually, he stands up, come plastered to his belly and thighs, and moves to the bathroom to shower. The hot water is working just fine, which is ironic considering that Max would prefer a cold shower right now. He doesn’t mind too much, though. He calmly washes his body and hair - he notices that his undercut has grown quite a lot and makes a note to ask Christine to shave it for him later. He steps out of the shower with a towel around his hips and another one on his hair.

He is finishing dressing when he hears the door opening and clicking closed once again. Max can hear the heavy rustling of Christine’s shopping bags as she walks down the corridor and closer to the door of his room. She is, in fact, loaded with three big plastic bags stuffed full of fabric and small pieces for her commission. He greets her when she passes by.

“Max!” She exclaims, looking far more excited than Max expected her to. “If you don’t fall in love with David soon, I will!”

Check this chapter on AO3.

[giantsfootball0]

Who said what after the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

3:11 PM ET

ESPN staff

ESPN rounds up all the reaction from up and down the Marina Bay paddock following the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (1st): “What a day — I can’t believe it, I’m so happy! I came in today and I saw that I was raining and I knew that this balances everything out. I love racing in the rain, then everything unfolded in the beginning. Starting on the Intermediates I thought it was going to be much closer pace-wise. These conditions give you the opportunity to really make a difference with your driving. It was the first time for all of us driving here in the rain, so it was a massive challenge.

“But I love that when you have to rise to the toughest of challenges, that’s the most exciting part for me. Then it was all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. We came to a track that was potentially our weakest circuit and we leave with a win like this and so many points — that’s a very fortunate scenario for us. Valtteri also did a great job, so to have all these constructors’ points is awesome.”

Valtteri Bottas (3rd): “Today shows that anything is possible – that is racing! I think under normal circumstances it would have been extremely difficult for us to be on the podium. But today, everything really came to us, and we got very lucky. In the dry, the car was performing better than expected and the pace was very good for Lewis and me; in the wet, I struggled a bit more than him. It’s nice to bring a trophy home after what has been a tricky weekend for me. But all in all it was a nearly perfect race for us as a team. There are still six races to go so everything is still wide open. We have been struggling quite a bit this weekend, so we need to make sure we learn from it for the future.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We woke up this morning talking about little else than damage limitation; we leave Singapore this evening with a bigger lead in both championships. This was one of those days that reminds you what an unbelievable sport motor racing can be. And reminds you, too, that the points are only scored on Sunday. Of course, it goes without saying that we got a big slice of luck today. Not only did we avoid the chaos at Turn One but we also escaped without damage to both cars.

“After that, though, we had to make the most of the opportunity that had been presented to us — and out-race a very fast Red Bull. Lewis did that brilliantly, showing good race pace on both types of tyre, while Valtteri picked his way back through the field to the podium. So the emotions tonight are very different to what we felt 24 hours ago — but this result doesn’t change a thing in the big picture. If anything, it’s a stark reminder that there are six more opportunities for the luck to go against us this season, just as it happened to Ferrari today. We will celebrate our result this evening but, after that, it will be full focus on the next challenges ahead.”

James Allison, Technical Director: “In the two weeks since the last round of the championship, and in all the hundreds of hours worked and thousands of simulations made, nothing pointed to a result quite like this one. Formula One is incredibly complicated, but days like this remind you that it is still a sport — and that you never know what might happen. After a difficult weekend prior to Sunday, the manner in which the cards all fell so right for us in the opening corners gave us a massive lift. But after that huge dose of luck, it was a relief to show that we had good race pace to justify our good fortune, and we couldn’t be more delighted with the way Lewis and Valtteri made the most of it. This is a brilliant result for both titles and, of course, we leave Singapore with a spring in our step. But there is still a very long way to go in this championship race.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull

Daniel Ricciardo (2nd): “The rain made it all pretty hectic today. Everyone was in the same boat though and we hadn’t driven in the wet here before so it’s all about switching on early, being aware of the situation and trying to adapt as quick as you can. My start was quite slow off the line. In hindsight probably a good thing, because it allowed the chaos to unfold in front of me.

“Then in the first few laps I felt we were okay in the wet but then I felt we were a bit harsh on the tyres. Even when we pitted and had fresher tyres, we couldn’t really make an impact on Lewis. The team was asking me to manage the gears through the race and after I learned we had a leak and were losing oil pressure in the gearbox from early on. Of course I came here to win and really wanted it, but second place is great and I’m not going to complain about it.”

Max Verstappen (DNF): “My start was a little bit better than Seb and I think he saw that so he tried to move to the left to squeeze me out of the line a bit but he did not know Kimi was on my other side. I think it wasn’t the smartest move and you can’t make excuses for it when you are fighting for a world championship. Kimi had a great start and was alongside me very quickly, I didn’t try and defend that as I knew it would be a long race, he then started to squeeze me also, at which point there wasn’t a lot I could do.

“The rear wheels are wider than the front so I was locked in the sandwich with no way out, even when I braked. If I made a mistake myself I would be upset or angry but there was nothing I could do today. We all lost out in the end so we all experienced some pain rather than someone making a mistake and then being able to carry on. We have to take the positives from the weekend, we were quick in qualifying and the practice sessions with good potential going into the race, we can hold onto this and move on to the next race.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “It was enormously frustrating to lose Max at the start of the race, in an incident that quite clearly had nothing to do with him. Sebastian moving to the left, Kimi moving to the right sandwiched Max and there was nowhere for him to go. Then, after the re-start, Daniel started to lose an awful lot of gearbox oil, which created a lot of problems with oil pressure, and we were feeling that it was looking unlikely that Daniel would get to the end of the race.

“However he managed to nurse the gearbox of the car incredibly well for three-quarters of the grand prix, and though able to hold off any threat from behind from Valtteri, unfortunately he could not attack Lewis ahead. So it has been another second place for us in Singapore, but a strong podium to take away considering how things were looking after the first 15 laps.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesFerrari

Sebastian Vettel (DNF): “I had an average start and then I moved slightly to the left trying to defend my position from Max. Then I got bumped on one side as Kimi’s car hit me. I’m not sure what happened. I span at turn 3, but that’s because the car was damaged already. Today we were on the wrong side of the track, which doesn’t help. But there is nothing we can do now and for sure it is bitter, and it’s a pity we couldn’t show our pace today; but we have other races ahead of us and I am sure there will be more opportunities for us.”

Kimi Raikkonen (DNF): “At the start I had a very good jump, then I got hit; that was the end of our race. I don’t think I could have really done anything differently to avoid it, apart from doing a bad start and not being there. It’s a pity, one of those things you pay a big price for. Whatever the cause or the issue, it doesn’t change the end result unfortunately. We go to the next races ready to fight and do our best.”

Maurizio Arrivabene, Team Principal: “That was very disappointing and it was definitely not the result we were expecting. But it doesn’t mean that the battle is all over, just that it has become more difficult. We are very disappointed for our fans, but we will be back. We proved that we have an excellent car and two great drivers. All of us, those here in Singapore today and those working back in Maranello, we all have the Prancing Horse stamped on our hearts and we guarantee that we will be fighting right to the final corner of the very last Grand Prix of the year.”

Andy Hone/LAT/Sutton ImagesForce India

Sergio Perez (5th): “I’m really pleased to come away from such a challenging evening with fifth place. So many things happened during the race, especially on lap one when it was so difficult to see anything because of the spray. At the same time, I’m a little disappointed that we missed out on a podium because I think the second safety car period didn’t help our strategy. We started the race on the full wet tyre, but we had to switch early to the intermediate tyres under the Safety Car and I lost valuable track position. Even so, it’s still a great day and a good recovery after a difficult qualifying session yesterday. This result helps our fourth position in the championship and continues my record of always scoring points in Singapore.”

Esteban Ocon (10th): “I am not happy to come away with just tenth place, but at least we’re leaving behind a very difficult weekend — it’s not the best way to celebrate my birthday. I made a very good start, but I struggled on both the wet tyres and the intermediates. This wasn’t the case in Monza, where I was much more comfortable in the rain, but something wasn’t working and I don’t know why. This dragged me behind some slower cars. After the track had dried, I had good pace but I just couldn’t overtake the cars I was chasing. It’s just very difficult to find an overtaking opportunity here. It’s good to rescue a point in the end, but we wanted much more than that. We have to analyse what went wrong and come back stronger in Malaysia.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: “We made the most of an incident-filled race to score points with both cars. We started on the full wet tyres, which were the correct tyres for the early laps, but the rain eased off sooner than expected and the track came towards the cars on intermediates. We had to react quickly to the various safety car periods and the pit wall made the right calls to ensure we were always on the right tyres for the conditions.

“We lost out during the second safety car period, which cost both drivers track position — Esteban more so than Sergio. From there both drivers recovered ground, but it wasn’t easy to overtake. Sergio had a long battle with Sainz and Esteban was fighting with Magnussen and Grosjean. Considering where we started the race, to come away with eleven points is a very satisfactory end to the weekend.”

Sutton ImagesWilliams

Lance Stroll (8th): “I think it was a fantastic race. It was raining at the beginning so to capitalise on the start, overtake, and really come through the field due to others making mistakes was fantastic in tricky conditions. Then after that, we ran a steady race. We kept cool. I made one mistake letting Vandoorne by. I just locked up into Turn 7 and he got past but all-in-all, a fantastic result and four points for the team.”

Felipe Massa (11th): “I’m disappointed with my race. First of all, I started on the wrong tyres which was my decision, but I think in that moment you never know what is going to happen. Many cars decided the same as me, some others different, it was my mistake. Then I was nowhere on the track, I was very slow. When the safety car was out I asked to stop but the team decided to stay out.

“They were saying that maybe the track would dry. I was at the back so it was my only chance in the race. In the end, I stayed out. I was so slow and my race was finished. I’m disappointed for my race but not for the team because Lance managed to score points. At the end, it could have been worse, looking at where we started the race, so not bad for the team but a disaster for me.”

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: “After a poor qualifying it’s great to come out of another race with some points on the board. It was looking like it would be an interesting race as soon as the rain came in. We have never had rain for the race in Singapore and it was remarkably persistent. Lance chose to start on the intermediate tyre in P18 with Felipe opting for the extreme wet in P17. Unfortunately, along with a few other drivers, the full wet turned out to be the wrong choice.

“There was a big incident at the start which helped us gain some places. In Lance’s case he drove a great race. He was one of the earliest to stop for dry tyres and he had good pace on the ultrasoft, taking the advantages at every stage. He put up a good defence as well, particularly towards the end, and managed to get an excellent eighth place for his first finish in Singapore; one of the toughest races on the Formula One calendar. Congratulations to him for achieving that, he’ll be very proud of himself for holding steady and driving so well throughout the whole two-hour race. On Felipe’s side, he drove well throughout the whole evening, but really the mistake was made at the beginning and it was impossible to unwind from that extra stop that we needed to make.

“We hoped to jump straight from the full wet to the dry tyre, which is why we tried to stay out longer in the first stint, but we missed that window by a few laps and he had to make an extra stop for intermediates, which really ruined his race. Nevertheless, it was a good drive from P17 to P11, to finish just outside the points. Congratulations to the team as well, to bring two cars home is a really important achievement in a race of such high attrition. Our reliability was good and we collected some valuable points in the Championship.”

MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty ImagesMcLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne (7th): “That was definitely an eventful race! To race under the rain at the beginning was definitely not easy, so my main focus was just to stay out of trouble, which we managed to do. From that point on, I just managed my own race. I think seventh place was really the best it was going to get for me today. Sixth was perhaps on the cards at one point, but it didn’t work out at my second pit-stop. After that, i just focused on getting everything I could from the car and maximising the performance. Getting a couple of points means we finish our weekend on a high.”

Fernando Alonso (DNF): “My start was brilliant. The car did an amazing launch and I managed to gain several positions, up to third place, but after that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t aware of what was happening on the inside, all I know is that at Turn One some cars crashed and hit us. In that situation, you are just a passenger, there’s nothing you can do. Unfortunately, that hit was too much for our car. From the cockpit you don’t understand how much damage there is, but the car didn’t feel great, it had a lot of oversteer so I asked the team what was the damage but they were not completely sure because they’d lost the telemetry.

“At the end, we had some electrical problems and we had to stop. These things sometimes happen in motor racing and unfortunately it happened to us today. We had so much hope for this race, and in wet conditions we are very strong so the disappointment is even bigger. Despite my disappointment this evening, it’s actually been a positive and fun weekend – the team has done an outstanding job and I’ll be hoping for better luck in Sepang in a fortnight’s time.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “When the heavens opened shortly before the start, we knew this was going to be an exciting and unpredictable Singapore Grand Prix — and so it proved to be. Through it all, Stoffel finished a magnificent seventh, battling throughout and really maximising the potential of our car whether he was running Full Wets, Intermediates or Option tyres.

“We think sixth was within our reach had he not been delayed at his second pit-stop. The front jack failed to engage properly, which meant the left-front wheel wasn’t lifted off the floor properly, which resulted in a slow removal. That delay meant he wasn’t able to close on [Jolyon] Palmer despite a spirited chase. It was a phenomenally disappointing day for Fernando. He’d made a brilliant start in the wet conditions but was harpooned by Verstappen’s car at Turn One. It was a significant impact, one which tore open the bodywork, damaged the floor and, ultimately, holed an exhaust.

“We were able to assess the initial damage as he passed through the pits behind the Safety Car, but, at racing speeds, it became immediately apparent that he couldn’t continue. We had to retire the car shortly afterwards. Despite failing to get one car to the finish through no fault of our own, this was a positive day for the whole team. We may not be as competitive around the fast sweeps of Malaysia, but this result will serve to remind us all that we can race hard at the front whenever the slightest opportunity presents itself.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co. Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “The heavy rain that began just before the start made today’s race enormously difficult for us. Although Fernando made a great start, he was involved in an unfortunate incident at Turn One and ultimately retired on lap eight due to the inflicted damage. I think he would have been able to race with the frontrunners if he had continued, so it was very disappointing for everyone in the team.

“Stoffel’s pace was competitive and he drove incredibly well, including overtaking his rivals on a track that is notoriously hard to pass on. He eventually crossed the line in seventh, his best result of the season, taking more precious points for the team. He did a great job today. Although we had the package to finish today’s race in a better position without incident, it was still a positive step forward for the team that we were able to bring one car home in the top 10.”

Sutton ImagesToro Rosso

Carlos Sainz (4th): “WOW! What a day, what a result! I’d say this is probably my best day in Formula 1 up until now! After a weekend with so much media attention, to put together a perfect weekend and finish the race in P4 is just amazing. To start the race on intermediate tyres, then switch to the supersoft – where I struggled a bit during the first laps – and then make it to the end without losing positions is just the perfect way to celebrate a difficult weekend…it’s definitely one I will always remember!

“I have to say that the most difficult part of the race for me was the start of my stint on the supersoft — it was not easy at all! I tried to do my best during the out-lap but Hulkenberg managed to overcut me… Luckily for me he then had a problem and from then onwards it was all about defending from Checo, who had been faster than us on Friday and also was on ultras! It was very difficult to keep him behind, looking in my mirrors the whole time, but in the end we did it! I had my flight booked to go back home tonight, but I’m definitely cancelling this — we need to celebrate this excellent result all together, this team have also done an amazing job this weekend… Thank you!”

Daniil Kvyat (DNF): “What a shame. Unfortunately I made a mistake and missed a good opportunity of scoring a good result today. I managed to overtake Magnussen and straight after that I locked my front wheel and went straight into the wall… I didn’t expect this to happen so. It’s very disappointing, but this is how it is sometimes.”

Franz Tost, Team Principal: “What a fantastic result today, we’ve equaled our best race result since our win in Monza 2008, another P4! Carlos did a fantastic job, keeping everything under control in a difficult situation at the beginning of the race, going through a long and demanding race and bringing home a fourth position finish and 12 points. The team also did a fantastic job in all aspects. As for our decision to go on supersofts, we did this because we thought this would have given us an advantage towards the end of the race.

“However, with the Safety Car and tyre warm-up, this call was not without its challenges, but it worked out in the end. The mechanics were very good, delivering fast pit stops, and I’d like to thank the whole team because we’ve all worked very hard for this fantastic result. We’ve taken our chances today, been aggressive and not been afraid to try something different and this has paid off here. This now makes us all very happy and in a very positive mood before travelling to the next Grand Prix in Malaysia in two weeks’ time.”

Clive Mason/Getty ImagesHaas

Romain Grosjean (9th): “I’m very happy for all of us, especially after a difficult weekend where we knew we didn’t really have the pace. We chose to start on intermediates, which was ballsy. It was tricky, initially. After everyone pitted, it was the right tire to be on, so I was pretty happy with my choice. We swapped to the slicks maybe one lap too late. I think Kevin did a better job than I did in pitting for the ultrasofts. From there I had a strong battle. I tried to go for (Lance) Stroll. He hit the wall once and I thought that was it, but it wasn’t hard enough to get any damage, so he kept going and didn’t make any other mistakes, so I couldn’t pass. Mentally it was a tough race. The conditions were horrendous, initially. You couldn’t see anything. I’m very happy we’ve scored points here.”

Kevin Magnussen (DNF): “I was gutted not to see the checkered flag. It’s very frustrating, but it happens sometimes. It was tough out there, but it was fun. It was challenging, but good on Formula One for letting us race and not having to start behind a safety car. I was getting heat into my tires again, because obviously I’d gotten out early on the tires and lost a bit of temperature, so they were building up. I was asked to swap, then I lost another position letting Romain past and getting wet tires. Then we had an issue, so in the end it didn’t matter.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: “To go away with two points here, for sure we worked hard for it, but we didn’t expect it. All in all, we got a bit of a good end to this. On the other side, we’re now eighth in the championship and not seventh. Coming in here we knew these things could happen, but we will fight hard to get back to seventh. Our drivers, our whole team, did a good job. There was nothing wrong with our strategy today. We always reacted very well. Both drivers kept the cars safe. Kevin would’ve brought his home but he had an electronics issue. We’ll investigate that and why we had to shut it down. Romain did a good job and came home ninth with two points. We keep on going.”

Sutton ImagesRenault

Jolyon Palmer (6th): “I’m so happy, it’s been a long time coming but today everything fell into place. It was a tricky race with the drama at the start and the heavy rain but the circumstances put us in a good place to score some points. We had a good strategy, good pit stops and the car was good in the wet conditions. The next race should be even better.”

Nico Hulkenberg (DNF): “It was a very disappointing race, you put in a lot of hard work throughout the weekend and then these things happen. It’s not great but it is a technical sport and a team sport. Unfortunately we had some technical issues with the engine and we had to retire the car.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director: “Tonight’s race was exciting and full of action with the rain and many safety cars — as it’s often the case in Singapore. We walk away with mixed feelings. On a positive note, Jolyon was able to get into the points for the first time this season and achieve his best result ever in F1. Despite the circumstances, he drove an error-free race on a night where it would have been easy to make many. He was able to help the team in its progress for the Constructors’ Championship, we now sit in seventh place and closer to reaching our goal for fifth position.

“The final races are well suited for our cars and our target remains unchanged. On the other hand, we feel very sorry and I want to apologize to Nico for having to retire his car. We had an oil leak which translated in his car having to take a performance penalty in the earlier part of the race and even tried an intervention during a long pit stop. Despite all our attempts and a great teamwork from all his car wouldn’t have made it to the end so we retired for preventative measures.”

Lars Baron/Getty ImagesSauber

Pascal Wehrlein (12th): “It was quite a chaotic race for me. As the track slowly started to dry, we decided to stay out on wet tyres and wait for the opportunity to change to a set of dry tyres, as soon as the track conditions would allow. However, the track did not dry up as quickly as we had anticipated, and the change to intermediate tyres was too late. Later on during the race, I lost more and more time due to many consecutive blue flags.”

Marcus Ericsson (DNF): “It was a difficult race for me today, especially due to the weather conditions we had to work with here in Singapore. I had an ok pace in the beginning, and was able to keep up with my direct competition. I then lost a lot of time due to an incident in one of the pitstops. I was pushing hard to make up for lost time, and went a bit over the limit. Unfortunately, that caused me to spin out of the race. Overall, a disappointment.”

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “It was a tough race for us. Both of the drivers were on wet tyres when we split their strategies — Marcus changed to intermediates. Pascal was still running on wet tyres, as we were waiting to put him onto the dry compound. Unfortunately, the track did not dry up as quickly as we expected it to. He lost a lot of time due to several blue flags later on during the race. During Marcus’ pitstop, there was a system error, which led to miscommunication. Overall, a very disappointing race for us. The procedures have to be revised to avoid repeating such situations in the future.”

Sutton ImagesPirelli

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing: “The start of the race was unknown territory for everyone, with no wet weather running during the weekend up to now. This tactical uncertainty was compounded by the first of three safety cars, immediately after the start, meaning that strategy was mainly a question of reacting to changing circumstances on track. Intermediates were generally the best choice for the conditions during the first half of the race, although the full wets also performed strongly on a track that was only drying out very slowly. Once the surface was dry, track evolution happened quickly, with everyone apart from Carlos Sainz — who drove a fantastic race — opting to finish the grand prix on the ultrasoft.”

The post Who said what after the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

from https://dailystarsports.com/2017/09/17/who-said-what-after-the-2017-singapore-grand-prix/ from https://dailystarsports.tumblr.com/post/165447148641

[footballleague0]

Who said what after the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

3:11 PM ET

ESPN staff

ESPN rounds up all the reaction from up and down the Marina Bay paddock following the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (1st): “What a day — I can’t believe it, I’m so happy! I came in today and I saw that I was raining and I knew that this balances everything out. I love racing in the rain, then everything unfolded in the beginning. Starting on the Intermediates I thought it was going to be much closer pace-wise. These conditions give you the opportunity to really make a difference with your driving. It was the first time for all of us driving here in the rain, so it was a massive challenge.

“But I love that when you have to rise to the toughest of challenges, that’s the most exciting part for me. Then it was all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. We came to a track that was potentially our weakest circuit and we leave with a win like this and so many points — that’s a very fortunate scenario for us. Valtteri also did a great job, so to have all these constructors’ points is awesome.”

Valtteri Bottas (3rd): “Today shows that anything is possible – that is racing! I think under normal circumstances it would have been extremely difficult for us to be on the podium. But today, everything really came to us, and we got very lucky. In the dry, the car was performing better than expected and the pace was very good for Lewis and me; in the wet, I struggled a bit more than him. It’s nice to bring a trophy home after what has been a tricky weekend for me. But all in all it was a nearly perfect race for us as a team. There are still six races to go so everything is still wide open. We have been struggling quite a bit this weekend, so we need to make sure we learn from it for the future.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We woke up this morning talking about little else than damage limitation; we leave Singapore this evening with a bigger lead in both championships. This was one of those days that reminds you what an unbelievable sport motor racing can be. And reminds you, too, that the points are only scored on Sunday. Of course, it goes without saying that we got a big slice of luck today. Not only did we avoid the chaos at Turn One but we also escaped without damage to both cars.

“After that, though, we had to make the most of the opportunity that had been presented to us — and out-race a very fast Red Bull. Lewis did that brilliantly, showing good race pace on both types of tyre, while Valtteri picked his way back through the field to the podium. So the emotions tonight are very different to what we felt 24 hours ago — but this result doesn’t change a thing in the big picture. If anything, it’s a stark reminder that there are six more opportunities for the luck to go against us this season, just as it happened to Ferrari today. We will celebrate our result this evening but, after that, it will be full focus on the next challenges ahead.”

James Allison, Technical Director: “In the two weeks since the last round of the championship, and in all the hundreds of hours worked and thousands of simulations made, nothing pointed to a result quite like this one. Formula One is incredibly complicated, but days like this remind you that it is still a sport — and that you never know what might happen. After a difficult weekend prior to Sunday, the manner in which the cards all fell so right for us in the opening corners gave us a massive lift. But after that huge dose of luck, it was a relief to show that we had good race pace to justify our good fortune, and we couldn’t be more delighted with the way Lewis and Valtteri made the most of it. This is a brilliant result for both titles and, of course, we leave Singapore with a spring in our step. But there is still a very long way to go in this championship race.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull

Daniel Ricciardo (2nd): “The rain made it all pretty hectic today. Everyone was in the same boat though and we hadn’t driven in the wet here before so it’s all about switching on early, being aware of the situation and trying to adapt as quick as you can. My start was quite slow off the line. In hindsight probably a good thing, because it allowed the chaos to unfold in front of me.

“Then in the first few laps I felt we were okay in the wet but then I felt we were a bit harsh on the tyres. Even when we pitted and had fresher tyres, we couldn’t really make an impact on Lewis. The team was asking me to manage the gears through the race and after I learned we had a leak and were losing oil pressure in the gearbox from early on. Of course I came here to win and really wanted it, but second place is great and I’m not going to complain about it.”

Max Verstappen (DNF): “My start was a little bit better than Seb and I think he saw that so he tried to move to the left to squeeze me out of the line a bit but he did not know Kimi was on my other side. I think it wasn’t the smartest move and you can’t make excuses for it when you are fighting for a world championship. Kimi had a great start and was alongside me very quickly, I didn’t try and defend that as I knew it would be a long race, he then started to squeeze me also, at which point there wasn’t a lot I could do.

“The rear wheels are wider than the front so I was locked in the sandwich with no way out, even when I braked. If I made a mistake myself I would be upset or angry but there was nothing I could do today. We all lost out in the end so we all experienced some pain rather than someone making a mistake and then being able to carry on. We have to take the positives from the weekend, we were quick in qualifying and the practice sessions with good potential going into the race, we can hold onto this and move on to the next race.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “It was enormously frustrating to lose Max at the start of the race, in an incident that quite clearly had nothing to do with him. Sebastian moving to the left, Kimi moving to the right sandwiched Max and there was nowhere for him to go. Then, after the re-start, Daniel started to lose an awful lot of gearbox oil, which created a lot of problems with oil pressure, and we were feeling that it was looking unlikely that Daniel would get to the end of the race.

“However he managed to nurse the gearbox of the car incredibly well for three-quarters of the grand prix, and though able to hold off any threat from behind from Valtteri, unfortunately he could not attack Lewis ahead. So it has been another second place for us in Singapore, but a strong podium to take away considering how things were looking after the first 15 laps.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesFerrari

Sebastian Vettel (DNF): “I had an average start and then I moved slightly to the left trying to defend my position from Max. Then I got bumped on one side as Kimi’s car hit me. I’m not sure what happened. I span at turn 3, but that’s because the car was damaged already. Today we were on the wrong side of the track, which doesn’t help. But there is nothing we can do now and for sure it is bitter, and it’s a pity we couldn’t show our pace today; but we have other races ahead of us and I am sure there will be more opportunities for us.”

Kimi Raikkonen (DNF): “At the start I had a very good jump, then I got hit; that was the end of our race. I don’t think I could have really done anything differently to avoid it, apart from doing a bad start and not being there. It’s a pity, one of those things you pay a big price for. Whatever the cause or the issue, it doesn’t change the end result unfortunately. We go to the next races ready to fight and do our best.”

Maurizio Arrivabene, Team Principal: “That was very disappointing and it was definitely not the result we were expecting. But it doesn’t mean that the battle is all over, just that it has become more difficult. We are very disappointed for our fans, but we will be back. We proved that we have an excellent car and two great drivers. All of us, those here in Singapore today and those working back in Maranello, we all have the Prancing Horse stamped on our hearts and we guarantee that we will be fighting right to the final corner of the very last Grand Prix of the year.”

Andy Hone/LAT/Sutton ImagesForce India

Sergio Perez (5th): “I’m really pleased to come away from such a challenging evening with fifth place. So many things happened during the race, especially on lap one when it was so difficult to see anything because of the spray. At the same time, I’m a little disappointed that we missed out on a podium because I think the second safety car period didn’t help our strategy. We started the race on the full wet tyre, but we had to switch early to the intermediate tyres under the Safety Car and I lost valuable track position. Even so, it’s still a great day and a good recovery after a difficult qualifying session yesterday. This result helps our fourth position in the championship and continues my record of always scoring points in Singapore.”

Esteban Ocon (10th): “I am not happy to come away with just tenth place, but at least we’re leaving behind a very difficult weekend — it’s not the best way to celebrate my birthday. I made a very good start, but I struggled on both the wet tyres and the intermediates. This wasn’t the case in Monza, where I was much more comfortable in the rain, but something wasn’t working and I don’t know why. This dragged me behind some slower cars. After the track had dried, I had good pace but I just couldn’t overtake the cars I was chasing. It’s just very difficult to find an overtaking opportunity here. It’s good to rescue a point in the end, but we wanted much more than that. We have to analyse what went wrong and come back stronger in Malaysia.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: “We made the most of an incident-filled race to score points with both cars. We started on the full wet tyres, which were the correct tyres for the early laps, but the rain eased off sooner than expected and the track came towards the cars on intermediates. We had to react quickly to the various safety car periods and the pit wall made the right calls to ensure we were always on the right tyres for the conditions.

“We lost out during the second safety car period, which cost both drivers track position — Esteban more so than Sergio. From there both drivers recovered ground, but it wasn’t easy to overtake. Sergio had a long battle with Sainz and Esteban was fighting with Magnussen and Grosjean. Considering where we started the race, to come away with eleven points is a very satisfactory end to the weekend.”

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Lance Stroll (8th): “I think it was a fantastic race. It was raining at the beginning so to capitalise on the start, overtake, and really come through the field due to others making mistakes was fantastic in tricky conditions. Then after that, we ran a steady race. We kept cool. I made one mistake letting Vandoorne by. I just locked up into Turn 7 and he got past but all-in-all, a fantastic result and four points for the team.”

Felipe Massa (11th): “I’m disappointed with my race. First of all, I started on the wrong tyres which was my decision, but I think in that moment you never know what is going to happen. Many cars decided the same as me, some others different, it was my mistake. Then I was nowhere on the track, I was very slow. When the safety car was out I asked to stop but the team decided to stay out.

“They were saying that maybe the track would dry. I was at the back so it was my only chance in the race. In the end, I stayed out. I was so slow and my race was finished. I’m disappointed for my race but not for the team because Lance managed to score points. At the end, it could have been worse, looking at where we started the race, so not bad for the team but a disaster for me.”

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: “After a poor qualifying it’s great to come out of another race with some points on the board. It was looking like it would be an interesting race as soon as the rain came in. We have never had rain for the race in Singapore and it was remarkably persistent. Lance chose to start on the intermediate tyre in P18 with Felipe opting for the extreme wet in P17. Unfortunately, along with a few other drivers, the full wet turned out to be the wrong choice.

“There was a big incident at the start which helped us gain some places. In Lance’s case he drove a great race. He was one of the earliest to stop for dry tyres and he had good pace on the ultrasoft, taking the advantages at every stage. He put up a good defence as well, particularly towards the end, and managed to get an excellent eighth place for his first finish in Singapore; one of the toughest races on the Formula One calendar. Congratulations to him for achieving that, he’ll be very proud of himself for holding steady and driving so well throughout the whole two-hour race. On Felipe’s side, he drove well throughout the whole evening, but really the mistake was made at the beginning and it was impossible to unwind from that extra stop that we needed to make.

“We hoped to jump straight from the full wet to the dry tyre, which is why we tried to stay out longer in the first stint, but we missed that window by a few laps and he had to make an extra stop for intermediates, which really ruined his race. Nevertheless, it was a good drive from P17 to P11, to finish just outside the points. Congratulations to the team as well, to bring two cars home is a really important achievement in a race of such high attrition. Our reliability was good and we collected some valuable points in the Championship.”

MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty ImagesMcLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne (7th): “That was definitely an eventful race! To race under the rain at the beginning was definitely not easy, so my main focus was just to stay out of trouble, which we managed to do. From that point on, I just managed my own race. I think seventh place was really the best it was going to get for me today. Sixth was perhaps on the cards at one point, but it didn’t work out at my second pit-stop. After that, i just focused on getting everything I could from the car and maximising the performance. Getting a couple of points means we finish our weekend on a high.”

Fernando Alonso (DNF): “My start was brilliant. The car did an amazing launch and I managed to gain several positions, up to third place, but after that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t aware of what was happening on the inside, all I know is that at Turn One some cars crashed and hit us. In that situation, you are just a passenger, there’s nothing you can do. Unfortunately, that hit was too much for our car. From the cockpit you don’t understand how much damage there is, but the car didn’t feel great, it had a lot of oversteer so I asked the team what was the damage but they were not completely sure because they’d lost the telemetry.

“At the end, we had some electrical problems and we had to stop. These things sometimes happen in motor racing and unfortunately it happened to us today. We had so much hope for this race, and in wet conditions we are very strong so the disappointment is even bigger. Despite my disappointment this evening, it’s actually been a positive and fun weekend – the team has done an outstanding job and I’ll be hoping for better luck in Sepang in a fortnight’s time.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “When the heavens opened shortly before the start, we knew this was going to be an exciting and unpredictable Singapore Grand Prix — and so it proved to be. Through it all, Stoffel finished a magnificent seventh, battling throughout and really maximising the potential of our car whether he was running Full Wets, Intermediates or Option tyres.

“We think sixth was within our reach had he not been delayed at his second pit-stop. The front jack failed to engage properly, which meant the left-front wheel wasn’t lifted off the floor properly, which resulted in a slow removal. That delay meant he wasn’t able to close on [Jolyon] Palmer despite a spirited chase. It was a phenomenally disappointing day for Fernando. He’d made a brilliant start in the wet conditions but was harpooned by Verstappen’s car at Turn One. It was a significant impact, one which tore open the bodywork, damaged the floor and, ultimately, holed an exhaust.

“We were able to assess the initial damage as he passed through the pits behind the Safety Car, but, at racing speeds, it became immediately apparent that he couldn’t continue. We had to retire the car shortly afterwards. Despite failing to get one car to the finish through no fault of our own, this was a positive day for the whole team. We may not be as competitive around the fast sweeps of Malaysia, but this result will serve to remind us all that we can race hard at the front whenever the slightest opportunity presents itself.”

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co. Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “The heavy rain that began just before the start made today’s race enormously difficult for us. Although Fernando made a great start, he was involved in an unfortunate incident at Turn One and ultimately retired on lap eight due to the inflicted damage. I think he would have been able to race with the frontrunners if he had continued, so it was very disappointing for everyone in the team.

“Stoffel’s pace was competitive and he drove incredibly well, including overtaking his rivals on a track that is notoriously hard to pass on. He eventually crossed the line in seventh, his best result of the season, taking more precious points for the team. He did a great job today. Although we had the package to finish today’s race in a better position without incident, it was still a positive step forward for the team that we were able to bring one car home in the top 10.”

Sutton ImagesToro Rosso

Carlos Sainz (4th): “WOW! What a day, what a result! I’d say this is probably my best day in Formula 1 up until now! After a weekend with so much media attention, to put together a perfect weekend and finish the race in P4 is just amazing. To start the race on intermediate tyres, then switch to the supersoft – where I struggled a bit during the first laps – and then make it to the end without losing positions is just the perfect way to celebrate a difficult weekend…it’s definitely one I will always remember!

“I have to say that the most difficult part of the race for me was the start of my stint on the supersoft — it was not easy at all! I tried to do my best during the out-lap but Hulkenberg managed to overcut me… Luckily for me he then had a problem and from then onwards it was all about defending from Checo, who had been faster than us on Friday and also was on ultras! It was very difficult to keep him behind, looking in my mirrors the whole time, but in the end we did it! I had my flight booked to go back home tonight, but I’m definitely cancelling this — we need to celebrate this excellent result all together, this team have also done an amazing job this weekend… Thank you!”

Daniil Kvyat (DNF): “What a shame. Unfortunately I made a mistake and missed a good opportunity of scoring a good result today. I managed to overtake Magnussen and straight after that I locked my front wheel and went straight into the wall… I didn’t expect this to happen so. It’s very disappointing, but this is how it is sometimes.”

Franz Tost, Team Principal: “What a fantastic result today, we’ve equaled our best race result since our win in Monza 2008, another P4! Carlos did a fantastic job, keeping everything under control in a difficult situation at the beginning of the race, going through a long and demanding race and bringing home a fourth position finish and 12 points. The team also did a fantastic job in all aspects. As for our decision to go on supersofts, we did this because we thought this would have given us an advantage towards the end of the race.

“However, with the Safety Car and tyre warm-up, this call was not without its challenges, but it worked out in the end. The mechanics were very good, delivering fast pit stops, and I’d like to thank the whole team because we’ve all worked very hard for this fantastic result. We’ve taken our chances today, been aggressive and not been afraid to try something different and this has paid off here. This now makes us all very happy and in a very positive mood before travelling to the next Grand Prix in Malaysia in two weeks’ time.”

Clive Mason/Getty ImagesHaas

Romain Grosjean (9th): “I’m very happy for all of us, especially after a difficult weekend where we knew we didn’t really have the pace. We chose to start on intermediates, which was ballsy. It was tricky, initially. After everyone pitted, it was the right tire to be on, so I was pretty happy with my choice. We swapped to the slicks maybe one lap too late. I think Kevin did a better job than I did in pitting for the ultrasofts. From there I had a strong battle. I tried to go for (Lance) Stroll. He hit the wall once and I thought that was it, but it wasn’t hard enough to get any damage, so he kept going and didn’t make any other mistakes, so I couldn’t pass. Mentally it was a tough race. The conditions were horrendous, initially. You couldn’t see anything. I’m very happy we’ve scored points here.”

Kevin Magnussen (DNF): “I was gutted not to see the checkered flag. It’s very frustrating, but it happens sometimes. It was tough out there, but it was fun. It was challenging, but good on Formula One for letting us race and not having to start behind a safety car. I was getting heat into my tires again, because obviously I’d gotten out early on the tires and lost a bit of temperature, so they were building up. I was asked to swap, then I lost another position letting Romain past and getting wet tires. Then we had an issue, so in the end it didn’t matter.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: “To go away with two points here, for sure we worked hard for it, but we didn’t expect it. All in all, we got a bit of a good end to this. On the other side, we’re now eighth in the championship and not seventh. Coming in here we knew these things could happen, but we will fight hard to get back to seventh. Our drivers, our whole team, did a good job. There was nothing wrong with our strategy today. We always reacted very well. Both drivers kept the cars safe. Kevin would’ve brought his home but he had an electronics issue. We’ll investigate that and why we had to shut it down. Romain did a good job and came home ninth with two points. We keep on going.”

Sutton ImagesRenault

Jolyon Palmer (6th): “I’m so happy, it’s been a long time coming but today everything fell into place. It was a tricky race with the drama at the start and the heavy rain but the circumstances put us in a good place to score some points. We had a good strategy, good pit stops and the car was good in the wet conditions. The next race should be even better.”

Nico Hulkenberg (DNF): “It was a very disappointing race, you put in a lot of hard work throughout the weekend and then these things happen. It’s not great but it is a technical sport and a team sport. Unfortunately we had some technical issues with the engine and we had to retire the car.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director: “Tonight’s race was exciting and full of action with the rain and many safety cars — as it’s often the case in Singapore. We walk away with mixed feelings. On a positive note, Jolyon was able to get into the points for the first time this season and achieve his best result ever in F1. Despite the circumstances, he drove an error-free race on a night where it would have been easy to make many. He was able to help the team in its progress for the Constructors’ Championship, we now sit in seventh place and closer to reaching our goal for fifth position.

“The final races are well suited for our cars and our target remains unchanged. On the other hand, we feel very sorry and I want to apologize to Nico for having to retire his car. We had an oil leak which translated in his car having to take a performance penalty in the earlier part of the race and even tried an intervention during a long pit stop. Despite all our attempts and a great teamwork from all his car wouldn’t have made it to the end so we retired for preventative measures.”

Lars Baron/Getty ImagesSauber

Pascal Wehrlein (12th): “It was quite a chaotic race for me. As the track slowly started to dry, we decided to stay out on wet tyres and wait for the opportunity to change to a set of dry tyres, as soon as the track conditions would allow. However, the track did not dry up as quickly as we had anticipated, and the change to intermediate tyres was too late. Later on during the race, I lost more and more time due to many consecutive blue flags.”

Marcus Ericsson (DNF): “It was a difficult race for me today, especially due to the weather conditions we had to work with here in Singapore. I had an ok pace in the beginning, and was able to keep up with my direct competition. I then lost a lot of time due to an incident in one of the pitstops. I was pushing hard to make up for lost time, and went a bit over the limit. Unfortunately, that caused me to spin out of the race. Overall, a disappointment.”

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “It was a tough race for us. Both of the drivers were on wet tyres when we split their strategies — Marcus changed to intermediates. Pascal was still running on wet tyres, as we were waiting to put him onto the dry compound. Unfortunately, the track did not dry up as quickly as we expected it to. He lost a lot of time due to several blue flags later on during the race. During Marcus’ pitstop, there was a system error, which led to miscommunication. Overall, a very disappointing race for us. The procedures have to be revised to avoid repeating such situations in the future.”

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Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing: “The start of the race was unknown territory for everyone, with no wet weather running during the weekend up to now. This tactical uncertainty was compounded by the first of three safety cars, immediately after the start, meaning that strategy was mainly a question of reacting to changing circumstances on track. Intermediates were generally the best choice for the conditions during the first half of the race, although the full wets also performed strongly on a track that was only drying out very slowly. Once the surface was dry, track evolution happened quickly, with everyone apart from Carlos Sainz — who drove a fantastic race — opting to finish the grand prix on the ultrasoft.”

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